Video and slides synchronized, mp3 and slide download available at URL http://bit.ly/2EsOjPj. David Copeland discusses what can be done to be our best self as a remote team member, as well as what people need from their environment, team, and company. It's not about technical stuff—it's the human stuff. How one can be present and effective when not physically there. Filmed at qconsf.com. David Copeland is Director of Engineering at Stitch Fix. He has 18+ years professional experience from managing high-performance, high-traffic systems at LivingSocial or building the engineering team at Opower to working consulting gigs large and small. He is the author of “Rails, Angular, Postgres, and Bootstrap”, "The Senior Software Engineer", "Build Awesome Command-Line Applications in Ruby".

1. The Effective Remote
Developer
David Copeland
Director of Engineering, Stitch Fix
@davetron5000

2. InfoQ.com: News & Community Site
• Over 1,000,000 software developers, architects and CTOs read the site world-
wide every month
• 250,000 senior developers subscribe to our weekly newsletter
• Published in 4 languages (English, Chinese, Japanese and Brazilian
Portuguese)
• Post content from our QCon conferences
• 2 dedicated podcast channels: The InfoQ Podcast, with a focus on
Architecture and The Engineering Culture Podcast, with a focus on building
• 96 deep dives on innovative topics packed as downloadable emags and
minibooks
• Over 40 new content items per week
Watch the video with slide
synchronization on InfoQ.com!
https://www.infoq.com/presentations/
effective-remote-developer-2017

3. Purpose of QCon
- to empower software development by facilitating the spread of
knowledge and innovation
Strategy
- practitioner-driven conference designed for YOU: influencers of
change and innovation in your teams
- speakers and topics driving the evolution and innovation
- connecting and catalyzing the influencers and innovators
Highlights
- attended by more than 12,000 delegates since 2007
- held in 9 cities worldwide
Presented at QCon San Francisco
www.qconsf.com

4. 4+ Years Remote
•3rd Developer at Stitch Fix
•Work daily with developers, users, business
people, vendors
•95 devS: most work DONE remotely

5. What do we mean
“remote”?

6. “You Do Not Often Interact
Face-To-Face With The
People You Work With”

10. What is “Effective”?
Producing Value
Agency
Inclusion
Rewarding

11. You don’t get thESE for
FREE being co-located
but they are harder to achieve when REMOTE.

12. It’s not easy—it
takes constant upkeep.

13. But, it’s worth it.

14. Freedom & Flexibility

15. Company has access to
a wider pool of
talent

16. Build & Maintain
Trust

17. “The half-life of trust is six weeks”
(it must be constantLY replenished)http://www.construx.com/10x_Software_Development/
Travel_Restrictions_and_Offshore_Development/

18. Four Mindsets to Build & Maintain Trust
Communicate frequently & clearly
Be responsive, but set boundaries
Assume good intentions
Help others help you

19. Base level of
technology

20. Chat system that’s
easy to use
(so…not irc)

21. Video conference that
supports multiple people
(webex meets this standard :)

22. Non-shitty microphone
(your laptop’s mic is shitty)

23. OK, back to trust

24. Coding
Asynchronous
synchronous
Socializing

25. Coding

26. Communicate Frequently & Clearly
•Turn big projects into smaller ones
•Smallest viable change
•Write great change requests
•Learn to screencast, learn to diagram

27. Be Responsive, but Set Boundaries
•Publicize your working hours
•Watch for feedback…and respond!
•Avoid spending hours heads-down—develop SLAs for
all forms of communication and responsiveness

28. Assume Good Intentions
•Code review comments are cold & harsh
•The reviewer is just trying to help

29. Help Others Help You
•Go to chat or video
•Communicate how they communicate best
•Be specific in what feedback you want

30. Asynchronous
Communication

31. Communicate Frequently & Clearly
•Provide more context
•Read what you write, learn to revise (at least once!)
•Typography Matters
•Learn (again) how to diagram

32. Be Responsive, but Set Boundaries
•Engage and give feedback
•Feedback leads to agency and cultivates
leadership
•Don’t forget affirming feedback!

33. Assume Good Intentions
•Assume everyone is good at their job

34. Help Others Help You
•Be specific in what feedback you want

35. synchronous
Communication

36. Communicate Frequently & Clearly
•Be prepared
•Use nouns instead of pronouns
•Pause and ask for feedback

37. Be Responsive, but Set Boundaries
•Pay attention—don’t multitask
•Jump in when you have something to say—don’t be afraid to
backtrack
•Yield the floor to others explicitly
•Don’t be a jerk. Be self-aware and get feedback offline

38. Assume Good Intentions
•Non-remotes aren’t accustomed to this
•Don’t forget: computers are terrible and
nothing works

39. Help Others Help You
•Point out A/V problems, and be directive
with solutions
•Establish an ally or regular backchannel

40. Socializing

41. Communicate Frequently & Clearly
•Make smalltalk
•Have 1-1’s with no agenda

42. Be Responsive, but Set Boundaries
•Establish clear travel expectations
•Push yourself to travel to meet others in
person

43. Assume Good Intentions
•Ignorance isn’t a lack of consideration
•Learn to be OK missing happy hours

44. Help Others Help You
•Suggest ways for remotes to socialize
•Arrange face time or meet ups—bring your
boss a plan they just have to say “yes”
to.

45. Trust

46. Four Mindsets to Build & Maintain Trust
Communicate frequently & clearly
Be responsive, but set boundaries
Assume good intentions
Help others help you

47. Thanks!
•Work This way: multithreaded.stitchfix.com/careers
•Contact Me: @davetron5000
naildrivin5.com
•READ MY book on non-Coding Developer Life Skills:
The Senior Software Engineer: sweng.me

48. Watch the video with slide
synchronization on InfoQ.com!
https://www.infoq.com/presentations/
effective-remote-developer-2017